Ricerca sociale: disegni, metodi e tecniche
A.Y. 2026/2027
Learning objectives
The main objectives of the course are to acquire knowledge of the main methods of social research and to develop skills useful for the design and evaluation of complex research projects in the socio-political field. Students will be guided in the application of their knowledge to the design, implementation and critical analysis of a research project through a programme divided into three parts. The first two parts are dedicated to the presentation of the main methods and techniques of social research: quantitative (sample surveys and secondary analysis); qualitative (discursive interviews, focus groups and ethnography); mixed methods; digital methods. The last part of the course is dedicated to the guided discussion of some case studies and examples of empirical research.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be expected to:
- understand the conceptual frameworks and tools specific to the diverse field of social research methodology;
- understand the ethical/deontological issues encountered when conducting social research in the field;
- be able to design social research projects based on specific research questions in the social and political sphere;
- be able to critically evaluate different methods and theoretical-practical alternatives, based on the knowledge objectives and available resources;
- be able to communicate the methodological choices underlying a research project to an audience of specialists and non-specialists.
- understand the conceptual frameworks and tools specific to the diverse field of social research methodology;
- understand the ethical/deontological issues encountered when conducting social research in the field;
- be able to design social research projects based on specific research questions in the social and political sphere;
- be able to critically evaluate different methods and theoretical-practical alternatives, based on the knowledge objectives and available resources;
- be able to communicate the methodological choices underlying a research project to an audience of specialists and non-specialists.
Lesson period: Third trimester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Third trimester
Course syllabus
The program covers the following topics:
1. Social research and public administration
2. Research questions and research designs
3. Quantitative research and qualitative research: two different approaches
4. Quantitative research: sampling surveys, experiments and quasi-experiments, secondary analysis
5. Qualitative research: participant observation, discursive interview, focus groups
6. Mixed methods
7. Big data, open data, and digital methods
8. Lab session: group presentations, guided classroom discussions, secondary analysis of survey data
1. Social research and public administration
2. Research questions and research designs
3. Quantitative research and qualitative research: two different approaches
4. Quantitative research: sampling surveys, experiments and quasi-experiments, secondary analysis
5. Qualitative research: participant observation, discursive interview, focus groups
6. Mixed methods
7. Big data, open data, and digital methods
8. Lab session: group presentations, guided classroom discussions, secondary analysis of survey data
Prerequisites for admission
There are no specific prerequisites other than those required for admission to the degree program.
Teaching methods
The course includes:
· Frontal lectures
· In-depth activities and data analysis in small groups and classroom presentations
· Guided discussions in the classroom
Attendance at lectures is not mandatory, but due to the theoretical and practical nature of the course, it is strongly recommended.
· Frontal lectures
· In-depth activities and data analysis in small groups and classroom presentations
· Guided discussions in the classroom
Attendance at lectures is not mandatory, but due to the theoretical and practical nature of the course, it is strongly recommended.
Teaching Resources
NOT ATTENDEES
For the first and second parts of the course, the reference texts are:
P. Corbetta,2014, La ricerca sociale: metodologia e tecniche. Vol. II. Le tecniche quantitative, il Mulino (chapters.1,2,3,4,6).
M. Cardano, F. Ortalda, 2021, Studiare l'interazione. Metodi quantitativi, qualitativi e misti, UTET (chapters. 1,7,8,9, 10,12,13,14 and section. 3.4 )
Students could also refer to this English text
Corbetta, Piergiorgio. Social Research : Theory, Methods and Techniques. London Sage, 2003.
For the third part of the course, students are required to read two articles of their choice from the following pairs (or from other articles in English suggested during the lessons):
1. Piro, V., & Sanò, G. (2019). Etnografia del lavoro a giornata nelle serre siciliane/Work bodies. Ethnography of day labor in Sicilian greenhouses. Cartografie sociali. Rivista semestrale di sociologia e scienze umane, 1(7).
2. Cannito, M., Falzea, L., & Torrioni, P. M. (2022). La socializzazione al genere nelle famiglie italiane: figurazioni e pratiche. Quaderni di Sociologia, (89-XLVI), 109-131.
1. Romito, Marco. "Provenienze sociali e orientamento scolastico. L'«accompagnamento alla scelta» della scuola superiore." Etnografia e ricerca qualitativa 7, no. 3 (2014): 481-504.
2. Abbiati, G., Argentin, G., Assirelli, G., Barone, C., & Schizzerotto, A. (2017). Orientamento educativo e disuguaglianze di fronte all'istruzione universitaria in Italia: Risultati da un esperimento randomizzato. Quaderni di Sociologia, (74), 7-31.
1. Vitullo, A., Gerosa, T., Losi, L., & Gui, M. (2021). Connessione permanente e disuguaglianza digitale: un'analisi sui divari tra studenti nativi e con status migratorio. Polis, 36(2), 209-240.
2. Frisina, A. (2014). Negoziare l'Alterita'. Focus group e processi di significazione delle immagini tra giovani autoctoni/ee figli/e delle migrazioni in Veneto. Rassegna italiana di sociologia, 55(3), 575-598.
1. Tipaldo, G., Carriero, R., Bruno, F., Pasquettaz, G., & Rocutto, S. (2020). Parlare della pandemia su Facebook: un'analisi comparata del contenuto su dati generati dagli utenti a Bergamo, Milano e Padova. Sociologia Italiana—AIS Journal of Sociology, 16, 141-164.
2. Dotti Sani, G. M. (2021). L'emergenza sanitaria da COVID-19 e la divisione del lavoro domestico e di cura. In Le donne in Italia durante la pandemia: politiche sociali e prospettive future (pp. 21-28). Osservatorio Internazionale per la Coesione e l'Inclusione Sociale.
ATTENDEES
P. Corbetta,2014, La ricerca sociale: metodologia e tecniche. Vol. II. Le tecniche quantitative, il Mulino (chapters.1,2,3,4,6).
M. Cardano, F. Ortalda, 2021, Studiare l'interazione. Metodi quantitativi, qualitativi e misti, UTET (chapters. 1,7,8,9, 10,12,13,14 and section. 3.4 )
Further materials will be done by the teacher for group discussion and lab practical session (classroom activities)
For the first and second parts of the course, the reference texts are:
P. Corbetta,2014, La ricerca sociale: metodologia e tecniche. Vol. II. Le tecniche quantitative, il Mulino (chapters.1,2,3,4,6).
M. Cardano, F. Ortalda, 2021, Studiare l'interazione. Metodi quantitativi, qualitativi e misti, UTET (chapters. 1,7,8,9, 10,12,13,14 and section. 3.4 )
Students could also refer to this English text
Corbetta, Piergiorgio. Social Research : Theory, Methods and Techniques. London Sage, 2003.
For the third part of the course, students are required to read two articles of their choice from the following pairs (or from other articles in English suggested during the lessons):
1. Piro, V., & Sanò, G. (2019). Etnografia del lavoro a giornata nelle serre siciliane/Work bodies. Ethnography of day labor in Sicilian greenhouses. Cartografie sociali. Rivista semestrale di sociologia e scienze umane, 1(7).
2. Cannito, M., Falzea, L., & Torrioni, P. M. (2022). La socializzazione al genere nelle famiglie italiane: figurazioni e pratiche. Quaderni di Sociologia, (89-XLVI), 109-131.
1. Romito, Marco. "Provenienze sociali e orientamento scolastico. L'«accompagnamento alla scelta» della scuola superiore." Etnografia e ricerca qualitativa 7, no. 3 (2014): 481-504.
2. Abbiati, G., Argentin, G., Assirelli, G., Barone, C., & Schizzerotto, A. (2017). Orientamento educativo e disuguaglianze di fronte all'istruzione universitaria in Italia: Risultati da un esperimento randomizzato. Quaderni di Sociologia, (74), 7-31.
1. Vitullo, A., Gerosa, T., Losi, L., & Gui, M. (2021). Connessione permanente e disuguaglianza digitale: un'analisi sui divari tra studenti nativi e con status migratorio. Polis, 36(2), 209-240.
2. Frisina, A. (2014). Negoziare l'Alterita'. Focus group e processi di significazione delle immagini tra giovani autoctoni/ee figli/e delle migrazioni in Veneto. Rassegna italiana di sociologia, 55(3), 575-598.
1. Tipaldo, G., Carriero, R., Bruno, F., Pasquettaz, G., & Rocutto, S. (2020). Parlare della pandemia su Facebook: un'analisi comparata del contenuto su dati generati dagli utenti a Bergamo, Milano e Padova. Sociologia Italiana—AIS Journal of Sociology, 16, 141-164.
2. Dotti Sani, G. M. (2021). L'emergenza sanitaria da COVID-19 e la divisione del lavoro domestico e di cura. In Le donne in Italia durante la pandemia: politiche sociali e prospettive future (pp. 21-28). Osservatorio Internazionale per la Coesione e l'Inclusione Sociale.
ATTENDEES
P. Corbetta,2014, La ricerca sociale: metodologia e tecniche. Vol. II. Le tecniche quantitative, il Mulino (chapters.1,2,3,4,6).
M. Cardano, F. Ortalda, 2021, Studiare l'interazione. Metodi quantitativi, qualitativi e misti, UTET (chapters. 1,7,8,9, 10,12,13,14 and section. 3.4 )
Further materials will be done by the teacher for group discussion and lab practical session (classroom activities)
Assessment methods and Criteria
The assessment consists of a final written exam, graded on a scale of 30. The written exam is designed to:
assess the achievement of the learning objectives in terms of knowledge and understanding of the topics covered in the course;
assess the ability to appropriately apply the methodological knowledge acquired.
The exam will consist of a 60-minute written test structured as follows:
A. a section with 20 closed-ended multiple-choice questions (22 points)
B. 1 open-ended question (11 points)
Attending students will have the opportunity to be assessed through:
A written test with 20 closed-ended multiple-choice questions (2/3 of the final grade)
A group presentation and the drafting of an individual policy brief (2-3 pages) connected to the work (secondary analysis) carried out in class during the final part of the course
Upon passing the exam, students will be awarded 9 credits.
assess the achievement of the learning objectives in terms of knowledge and understanding of the topics covered in the course;
assess the ability to appropriately apply the methodological knowledge acquired.
The exam will consist of a 60-minute written test structured as follows:
A. a section with 20 closed-ended multiple-choice questions (22 points)
B. 1 open-ended question (11 points)
Attending students will have the opportunity to be assessed through:
A written test with 20 closed-ended multiple-choice questions (2/3 of the final grade)
A group presentation and the drafting of an individual policy brief (2-3 pages) connected to the work (secondary analysis) carried out in class during the final part of the course
Upon passing the exam, students will be awarded 9 credits.
GSPS-05/A - General Sociology - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professor:
Guglielmi Simona
Shifts:
Turno
Professor:
Guglielmi SimonaProfessor(s)